Lil Wayne, Coldplay lead Grammy nominations

LOS ANGELES – Lil Wayne – the most prolific, ubiquitous and successful performer on today’s music scene – was the most rewarded by the Recording Academy on Wednesday, receiving eight Grammy nominations including album of the year for “Tha Carter III.”

Following close behind was Coldplay, with seven. Their “Viva La Vida,” one of the year’s best-selling CDs, is in album of the year contention along with Radiohead’s groundbreaking “In Rainbows”; singer-songwriter Ne-Yo’s “Year of the Gentleman”; and Robert Plant’s collaboration with Alison Krauss, “Raising Sand.”

Nominations were announced in a brand-new format this year, with an hourlong live prime-time CBS concert special that featured a brisk procession of performers and LL Cool J and Taylor Swift as hosts.

Coldplay and Plant and Krauss were also nominated in the coveted record of the year category for the respective songs “Viva La Vida” and “Please Read the Letter.” Other record of the year nominees were British songstress Leona Lewis for “Bleeding Love”; another British newcomer, Adele, for “Chasing Pavements;” and M.I.A. for her breakthrough hit, “Paper Planes.”

Some surprising omissions: Katy Perry, who had one of the year’s biggest hits with “I Kissed a Girl,” was shut out of the top categories, including record of the year and best new artist. Still, she was excited about her nomination for female pop vocal performance: “I feel very grateful to be recognized by an institution of such iconic musical history. I can’t believe it, but this year I won’t be watching the Grammys in my jammies!” she said in a statement.

The Grammy Awards are scheduled for live broadcast on CBS on Feb 8. Last year’s show drew 17.2 million viewers, making it one of the least-watched Grammys and continuing the trend of shrinking awards-show audiences.